- PART TWO: THE MAGICAL JOURNEY -
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CHAPTER 8 - PART 1
The huge doors of Agrabah's throne room opened wide and the guard announced the visitors to Sultan Aladdin, Queen Jasmine and Prince Cassim and to the Royal Advisors and Ahmed, captain of the Royal Army. They were in the middle of a meeting but they all looked at the doors as the opened. * * * * * That night Aladdin and Jasmine were talking while taking a peaceful walk around the dark menagerie. It was a warm night and the stars were shinning wonderfully up in the sky."I'm starting to think I should send my troops to look all over the deserts for that Karak thing." Aladdin was saying. "I just can't take this anymore, Jasmine." "What good would it do, my love?" She said sadly. "First of all, we have no idea where Karak is… second, this is a magical thing and you know better than anyone that magic cannot be fought like that. And also we cannot send the army away and leave Agrabah unprotected." "I know… it was a silly idea but Jasmine I just… I don't know. Is this the only thing we can do? Stay here waiting for them to come back? I feel so useless." "I feel the same way but… Aladdin, this is something Ali has to solve by himself. I'm dying inside but I understand how important this is for Ali. This is something he has to do by himself. He has to prove himself just like you did so many times in your life… with the Cave of Wonders and all." "But I never was away for a month! He's been gone for over a month now. And we don't even know where he is or how he's doing… we know nothing about him or Azul." "As they say, no news is good news." "I don't know Jasmine… I cannot understand how you can be so cool about this." "I am trying to keep my faith… Aladdin, my love, believe me, in the moment I let out a tear…" She stopped looking up at Aladdin with teary eyes. "…I'll be unable to stop!" Jasmine found her way into Aladdin's embrace and started to cry. It took Aladdin totally by surprise. He knew Jasmine loved Ali deeply and he wondered why she seemed to be so calm about the situation. All of a sudden Aladdin understood she was only trying to be strong for him. "Oh no my princess!" Aladdin said closing his arms around his wife. "Please don't cry… everything is going to be fine. I'm sorry I've been so exalted lately. I never realized I was stressing you like this. We all are going through the same thing Jasmine. We must be each other's source of force and support… we have to face things together… bad things and good things." "I know Aladdin. But I feel so scared. Every moment of the day I'm wondering where my boy can be or if he is alright… then I think about Azul and all the poor girl must be going through and I feel so sad and so useless. We have to stay in here, in Agrabah while they are out there fighting and I know this is their own battle but I cannot pretend I don't care about this because I do… but then I see you suffering so much for your son and I tell myself that one of us must be strong." "No Jasmine. We both must be strong… for each other. And we must have faith in Allah and faith in our son… we faced many dangerous adventures and we always succeeded. Ali is a good boy. He's determined and loyal. And he really can take care of himself. It's only matter of time Jasmine… you'll see. The children will be back safe and sound. Allah cannot let anything bad happen to them. Evil will never win over good and we both know that. Let's have faith my princess. Let's be strong together." Jasmine pulled away and looked up at Aladdin's face. "I love you Aladdin." "I love you too Jasmine… my princess." Aladdin cupped Jasmine's face and kissed her lips softly. Jasmine slid her arms around Aladdin's neck and pulled him closer for a deeper kiss. When they pulled away Jasmine outlined softly Aladdin's features. "Sometimes I wish I had a less brave son… a simple boy who hadn't inherited his father's adventurous spirit." "Well," Aladdin smiled tenderly. "Sometimes I wish I had a less free spirited and stubborn son… a simple boy who hadn't inherited his mother's passion." Jasmine smiled and rested her forehead against Aladdin's. He closed his arms around her waist. "But then," She said. "That boy wouldn't be our Ali." "No." Aladdin chuckled. "And Allah knows how much I love that weird kid." "He reminds me so much of you… he's just like you at his age." "Oh no!" Aladdin laughed. "I never gave these kinds of headaches to your father, did I?" "Well, you gave some headaches to me." "But I always rescued you… except that time in Dagger Rock of course when you had to rescue me." "Men!" Jasmine laughed. "You guys think you are here to protect us, poor helpless girls… the truth is we women are here to rescue you every time." Aladdin laughed softly and kissed Jasmine's cheek. "I never minded being rescued by you." "Maybe that was why you were always getting into trouble?" "Maybe…" Aladdin replied mischievously. "In that case," Jasmine smiled at him. "We shouldn't worry for the kids. Azul is going to rescue Ali if something bad happens to him." "AFTER he rescues her." Aladdin smiled back. "Alright." Jasmine kissed Aladdin's lips softly. "Then we have nothing to worry about." "They are going to be alright Jasmine… you'll see." "Yeah. We have to believe. We must keep our faith in them and in Allah." "And you don't have to be the strong one… I don't have to be the strong one either. We have to face this together being each other's force and support… is it a deal?" Aladdin said looking at Jasmine's eyes. "It is a deal." Aladdin nodded and kissed Jasmine's forehead softly. Then he reached for her hand and they started to walk in the palace direction. "Now it's time for us to catch some rest… I have a meeting with the leaders of the Army early in the morning." Jasmine didn't say anything. She just held Aladdin's hand tighter and rested her head on his shoulder thanking Allah she could always find security and strength in him… and also praying to Allah for her son, her little Ali who was out there somewhere in the desert trying to prove himself in the Roads of the Universe. * * * * * Aswad was staring absently at the water mirror in his throne room. He was sitting on his throne and fingering the small bag around his neck, lost in his thoughts."He's got the blue crystal." He was thinking. "He's getting closer and closer. I don't think it'd be a problem for him to get the amulet now. And once he gets the amulet he'll be at my mercy. Then I am going to finish him. All your effort is going to be in vain, young Lion of the Desert, for your destiny is already written. You'll never make it to Karak. You will never be able to see Karak's silhouette on the horizon. You will never step into this city. And you will never ever have the chance to see your beloved Azul again. Your future has been decided by me, Prince Ali. I've been following you all this time and by now I think I know enough about you. Enough to make you fail in the last steps of your journey." Aswad left his throne and went to the window. He stared absently at the city below him. He was still lost in his thoughts. "Once I get rid of you it's going to be real easy break Azul's spirit. My plan is coming together in my head now… yes, now I know exactly what to do… and no one will spoil it for me this time. For you Ali of Agrabah and Azul of Alexandria… you, Prince Ali from Aladdin's blood and Azul from Azrak's blood, you are going to be each other's cause of failure… when a man fights and he is killed in battle, that makes a hero out of him… but when a hero gives up in his fight… that is what makes a true tragedy." The dark sorcerer returned to the water mirror and stared for a long while at the image of Ali. After a while he chuckled softly. "Go on, hero… don't stop. Find the amulet… you think things haven't been easy for you in your journey but you are wrong, Lion of the Desert. For the real nightmare is about to start… you will fail and your beloved Azul will be mine." * * * * * Azul was in her room. It made her sick to be locked inside that room. But there was nothing she could do about it. She spent her days just staring at the window, pacing the room, remembering the good old times, dreaming about her future but most of all, praying to Allah for her beloved Ali."This is really frustrating." She was thinking. "I feel like an animal in a cage, unable to do anything. I feel so trapped in here and the worst part is that there's nothing I can do. All the things I've tried have been totally useless. I know a part of me feels like giving up but then another part of me keeps telling me not to give up. And I have faith. I won't let Aswad break me for I'd rather die than surrender to him and his plans for me." She sat on the bed and sighed deeply. "I am so scared. Aswad scares me so much… I'm trying to be strong, to show no fear to him but it's not easy… the way he looks at me… the way he touches me… it repulses me and scares me but I cannot let him know what he does to me. He is a very clever man and he could use my weakness in his advantage and I cannot allow that." She left her bed and went to her window, staring absently at the horizon. "Oh Ali… where are you? Why aren't you coming? I have all my faith in you Ali, for you are the only one who can take me out of here and destroy this cursed city. But time is going by and you aren't coming… I don't want to sound as if I were losing my faith in you because I'm not my prince… but it's so hard to live day after day like this, unable to do anything to help myself and hoping that you will cross the gates of this city any minute… it's been more than a month… I never thought this would take so long. And I know you Ali, I know you are trying… but now I'm worried for you. I'm worried something bad could've happened to you." Azul pressed her blue diamond against her chest and closed her eyes. A rebel tear escaped the corner of her eye. "Protect him, Allah." She was whispering. "Don't let anything bad happen to him. Please, don't make him suffer. I'm willing to take all his pain on me. If someone has to suffer let it be me, not him… please All Mighty Allah, take care of my prince… of my love… of that man that is my whole life, my whole world, my only faith and my only hope… my Ali."
"The beautiful Azul." Aswad said looking at her in a way he had never done before, which made Azul feel uncomfortable. "You know, you are just like a little bird trapped in a cage. You have wings but you cannot fly." "But you could never cut off my wings, Aswad." She responded menacingly. "I know that. Only the one who gave them to you can cut them off, right?" "What do you mean by that?" "Nothing really." He said getting close to her and cupping her face in his hand. "I just wonder if that faith you have in your beloved Prince Ali is still burning in your heart. I wonder this because it's been over a month now and I don't see anyone coming to save you. And maybe you think you're fooling me but you don't, dear Azul… you miss him, you are waiting for him… maybe you cry at night when you remember him and you wonder where he could be, don't you?" Azul didn't respond. She had a very annoyed expression on her face but when she tried to release herself from Aswad's touch he grabbed her face tightly, almost hurting her and pulled her closer to him. "I tell you what, Azul. Don't worry about him anymore for you don't need him. You know, I have some plans for you now… and I'm sure you are going to be quite pleased with the arrangements I'm making for your near future… quite pleased indeed. I know you are bored to death being locked up inside this room day and night but don't worry. I'm going to give you something… something to… take care of, so to speak. I assure you that you'll be very happy being here in the future. Your life is going to change for good thanks to me." "But what are you just talking about?!!" Azul said annoyed pushing him away to free herself from his touch. "You are out of your mind…" "No, I'm not." He smiled. "In fact I think this plan I have now is the best plan I've come up with in my life… I honestly think so. This is good for me… for Karak… even for you, young Azul." "I don't know what you are thinking but I assure you it won't work, for I'll spoil your plan just as I've spoiled all your plans before!" Azul raised her voice. Aswad laughed and grabbed Azul's arm pulling her to him. "You have spoiled ALL my plans?" He chuckled at her. "Poor naïve Azul! You don't think the couple of small spells you messed up have been ALL my plans, do you? You've spoiled nothing, girl. For the deserts are now under my rule." "That's not true!" Azul yelled trying to free herself from Aswad's embrace. "Think what you want." He said hiding his face in Azul's hair. "I don't have to prove anything to you, do I?" "Let go!" She was yelling. "Let GO!" "Oh Azul." Aswad laughed against her hair. "What do you think I've been doing while you spend your days and nights locked up inside this room? Silly Azul! I've been busy conquering the deserts… destroying cities… casting big spells in the land." "No!" She was yelling. "That's not true!" "It is, my little Azul… you have no idea what is happening in the deserts now… you have no idea what has happened in the deserts in the past month. It's beautiful, simply perfect… although the people of the desert think this is the end of the land. But Karak's power is strong as never before and that's something I have to thank you for, Azul." "No…" She said helplessly. "You are a liar!" "As I said before, I have to prove nothing to you, Azul." Aswad's face moved to Azul's neck and she felt his lips brushing her skin there. That touch repulsed her. She tried to pull away but Aswad held her tighter against him. "The Seven Deserts are mine…" He whispered against her neck. "And so are you." "NO!" She said desperately trying to pull away. Aswad chuckled softly and his lips started to search for Azul's. She turned her face to avoid that kiss but Aswad grabbed her face forcing her to face him. "NO!" Azul yelled. Aswad pulled away screaming when he felt Azul's nails scratching his face. His hand went to his cheek and he discovered some blood there. As soon as Azul was released from his grip she ran to the window trying to stay away from him. Aswad looked at her and she thought she had never seen such a mad look in his eyes. She gulped nervously but she managed to lift up her head proudly to face him. "Don't you EVER do that again!" She warned him coldly. "You stupid woman!" Aswad said madly. "You have no idea what you've done… this is the last thing I take from you… I've been patient enough with you, but no more Azul… no more!" "I don't like to be touched by you!" Azul yelled. "You were lucky this time Aswad… next time I'll pull out your eyes!" "There will be a next time." He said menacingly to her. "Oh yes, there must definitely be a next time… and then you'll be begging for mercy… crawling at my feet… you said you'll pull out my eyes… that's fine with me, for I'll pull out your heart!" "I'd like to see you TRY that." She said. "Don't you dare put your hand on me ever again, Aswad… that is something I am not willing to accept, do you hear me?" "Why?" He said madly. "Because you are still waiting for your prince to come to save you? Because only he can touch you? I am better than any prince in the world!" "You don't know Ali… once he's here you'll…" "But he is not here, is he? You are brave because you think he's coming to save you but learn this, he is NOT… you can believe whatever you want to believe for all I care. It is going to be really painful to you when you discover the truth. And then I'll be laughing at you. I have my plans, Azul… big plans for you. And once my next spell is ready you won't be acting so brave anymore… you are going to be under my will… under my power… you will be mine!" "We will see about that, Aswad!" The sorcerer grabbed Azul's chin in his hand tightly, hurting her and forcing her to look at his eyes. "I'll see you break into little pieces Azul… and I'll enjoy every tear in your eyes… keep your faith in your prince all you want but he's not coming… it's been over a month… where is your wonderful prince, then, Azul?" He looked at Azul's face. Even if his touch was hurting her she kept determination in her eyes. Aswad groaned and shoved her onto the bed and left the room shutting the door closed behind him. "Oh Sweet Allah!" Azul said softly straightening herself on the bed. "Please don't let Aswad's words about the Seven Deserts be true! Please! I don't believe what he's saying… I have to know the truth… I have to spy on him or something… I need to know the truth…" She left her bed and went to her vanity. She looked at her own reflection in the mirror and discovered terror in her own eyes. She gulped and made a face when she remembered the sensation of Aswad's lips on her. "No!" She said angrily washing her face and neck furiously. "I will never allow that Aswad… never… never…." She was feeling furious. Suddenly she threw all the stuff on her vanity to the floor and the bowl with the water was thrown against the wall. "I hate you Aswad!" She was yelling. "I hate you and your cursed city! I hate this dress! I hate this hairdo! I hate this room! I hate you!" She couldn't help it anymore. She threw herself on the bed and started to cry bitterly. She needed to let it out. She felt she couldn't take it anymore. "Oh Ali…" She sobbed. "Where are you? Why is this taking you so long? I'm scared Ali… I feel so helpless… so lonely… so weak… please don't leave me here… please don't abandon me… Ali, PLEASE come to take me home…" She buried her face on her pillow. "I want to go home!" She was muttering in her cry. "I want to go home… please Ali… take me home… I don't want to be here anymore… I'm scared… please take me home…" She cried her heart out and little by little her cry faded into soft sobs until it died. She stayed there, resting on her pillows, just looking at the wall, her mind lost in her thoughts and sighing deeply every now and then. Finally she started to fall asleep. She was tired and she didn't want to think anymore. She wanted to escape from her reality even if only for a few hours. "Aswad is lying." She was muttering drowsily. "I know you are coming Ali… I know you are looking for me… I won't believe what he says… I will only believe what my heart is telling me. You are closer to me every minute Ali… I can feel it… I know that…" She closed her eyes and little by little she fell into a deep sleep. "I trust you… Ali…" she said in her sleep and the last tear she had to shed ran down her face slowly. * * * * * Azul was in her room, on her bed, asleep on her back, her hand next to her face on her pillow. She had a very restless sleep and the stress and despair could be read in her face as she was sleeping.But little by little her sleep started to get deeper and more relaxed. And suddenly a small smile appeared on her lips. She opened her eyes and discovered Ali in there, watching over her. He was sitting on the side of the bed and had one arm on the other side of her, holding himself up and looking lovingly down at her. Azul looked at him. He was wearing his desert clothes and his cape. She noticed the A+A pin over his heart. She looked up at his handsome face but he wasn't saying anything. Their eyes locked and he slowly leaned down and kissed her lips softly.
"You are not alone…" Azul opened her eyes slowly… but he was gone. She blinked a couple of times trying to understand what had just happened, propping herself on her elbow and looking around the dark room. "Ali?" She called softly. She looked at herself and the little blue diamond around her neck got her attention. She grabbed it and kissed it, then she pressed it against her heart. "It was a dream." She said softly. "And yet it was so real… I could feel his lips on mine and it felt so real…" She caressed her lips softly. "So true… oh Ali, I know I'm not alone. You are trying to tell me that I must trust you, aren't you?" She smiled tenderly and rested her head on her pillow, staring at the ceiling. "I trust you Ali… I am not alone." She closed her eyes and smiled at the memory of Ali's soft touch. It felt so different from Aswad's. She turned to her side and snuggled against her pillow. She kept her eyes open, staring at the window for a long while, until she felt she couldn't keep them open anymore. She sighed deeply and slowly closed her eyes. "I trust you Ali… I trust you…" * * * * * Ali was sleeping in his camp that night. They had reached the deserts once again. The cold and the snows of the icy mountains were behind them now. They had been traveling across the sands of the deserts for a couple of days.But the prince of Agrabah was not feeling very well. The fatigue of the travel was so strong then. He couldn't ignore it anymore. He was totally worn out. He was feeling so weak and so tired. And worst of all, after the days he had spent in the mountains he was feeling really sick. He had been having fever for the last three days. It was hard for him to keep himself straight when he was riding Reeh. He was usually just leaning against the horse's neck and counting on his friend to keep the right way to the East. That night he just couldn't go on anymore. The fever was really bad and he decided to stop and take a rest, if only for a few hours. He was sleeping by the campfire, snuggled in his cape and his head resting on Reeh's bags. He was restless in his sleep and his fever was not getting any better. Suddenly he relaxed himself a little and his breathing became more steady. It was as if he was having a dream. Ali was muttering Azul's name over and over. "Azul…" He was saying. "My wife…" Suddenly he felt something beside him. Something soft and warm. Something that gave peace to his heart. Ali was resting on his side and slowly opened his eyes, a small smile on his lips at the warm feeling he was experiencing then. Surprise appeared in his face when he discovered Azul there, next to him, lying on her back. "Azul!" He whispered. "It's you!" But she looked so sad, so lonely. Her gaze was lost in space and she seemed so distant. Even if she was right by Ali's side she was so far away. She was silent and the expression Ali saw on her face just broke his heart right there. "Blue eyes." He said softly. Ali slowly leaned towards her and closed his eyes, barely touching her lips with his. At that moment he heard her distant voice, barely a whisper. "I trust you, Ali…" Ali pulled away just a little, whispering against her lips. "You are not alone…" Ali opened his eyes slowly and heard himself talking. "You are not alone, blue eyes… you are not alone…" He blinked and rolled to lay on his back. He could see the stars shining in the sky. He ran his hand through his messy hair and groaned softly. "What was I muttering?" His eyes opened wide then as the memories of his dream came to his head. "Azul!" He said. "You were in my dream… and you were so lonely, so scared… so…" He tried to lift himself up but he just couldn't. He was feeling so weak. He collapsed on the sand again and snuggled in his cape. "This is not getting any better." He muttered. "I'm so cold… and I have these chills and… and this headache. Oh Allah, she's counting on me and I just… I can't move." He tried to prop on his elbow but his arm hadn't enough strength to support him. Ali laid on his back once again and touched his sweaty forehead. It was so hot. "It's this annoying fever again." He looked at Reeh who was pleasantly sleeping near the fire. "He must be feeling as bad as I do. Poor Reeh!" He reached for his canteen and could barely open it. Then he drank avidly as much water as he could. He was really thirsty. "I won't let my body stop me now." He said gasping for air. "It's just fever, I can go on… I have to go on. Azul is counting on me and I cannot fail her. Not now that we've come so far." He reached for his satchel and opened it clumsily. He took out the three crystals and smiled at the sight of them. "I've passed the tests. Things are easier from here and I cannot give up. I'm so close to Karak now. And the way to Karak is the way to Azul… to my blue eyed angel." Ali took Azul's portrait and stared at it for a long while, a tender smile on his lips. Then he pressed his lips to it for a long moment, smiling softly. "I can do this, Azul. I won't let you down." He found support on a big rock and even if his legs were feeling so weak he stood up and started to pack his stuff. Reeh opened his eyes and looked at Ali. "It's time to go, Reeh." Ali said. "We still have 2 or 3 dark hours so we better hurry. It's always good to take advantage of the early hours of the morning… c'mon!" Reeh neighed softly and stood up slowly. It was pretty obvious that the horse was as worn out as Ali was. And yet it was even more obvious that Reeh was willing to run to death for Ali. He was going to take Ali to the end. Reeh shook his mane and yawned a couple of times. Ali smiled at him and patted his head. "When we're done with this we'll take a long rest, Reeh… a very, very long rest." Reeh bounced his head and snorted. Ali had to laugh realizing that it was Reeh's way of telling him "Yeah, suuuuure!" The prince put the saddles and bags on Reeh's back and then the jewel of Reeh el Sahaara around the horse's neck. "This jewel has been really useful." Ali commented. "It really makes you the fastest horse in the deserts." When they were ready Ali tried to mount Reeh. He had to try it a couple of times, for his legs were feeling really weak. Finally he mounted his horse and put his hood on. It was a cool morning. He was feeling chills on his body and the fever was not giving up but he was determined to go on in his journey. "To the East." He commanded Reeh with a very low voice. "Follow the path of dawn Reeh." The horse neighed and started to run in the direction his master had pointed out for him. Ali leaned against Reeh's neck. "I count on you, Reeh… just take me there." * * * * * Reeh ran rampant across the golden sands for hours and hours non stop. Ali was feeling worse and worse every minute but he kept telling himself that he could resist. Just another mile, just another minute. But the sun was already going down in the sky and Ali felt he was about to pass out."Reeh, wait!!" He almost pleaded. "We have to stop now… I can't go on anymore. I need a rest." The loyal horse stopped and looked at Ali. The young prince dismounted him, almost throwing himself on to the ground and clumsily he walked to some rocks. As soon as Ali reached the shade of the rocks he collapsed on the ground, his back leaning against them. He was covered by a cold sweat and his breathing was heavy and unsteady. Reeh came to nuzzle his face. "I'm fine." Ali barely whispered. "I just need… a rest." Reeh just snorted and laid himself by Ali's side. The prince reached to pat Reeh's head. "You've been a good horse, Reeh… I couldn't ask this much of any other horse in the world. Thank you." Reeh made soft noises. His big and sparkly eyes were moving nervously seeing Ali like that. The prince of Agrabah chuckled softly at Reeh's expression. "Don't worry pal. I'm not dying. I'm fine… it's just this fever. I guess that's what a desert man gets when he travels across icy mountains. But I'm fine… I'll be fine." Ali leaned on Reeh's neck and snuggled against it taking advantage of the horse's warmth. "I must go on." He was muttering. "I can't fail… I can't stop now… I have to keep going… this is the final lap… I must keep going… I have to… keep…" He closed his eyes and as much as he was trying to avoid it, he felt into a deep sleep. * * * * * That morning Azul noticed no noises were heard outside her room. She was almost sure no one was guarding her door that day. She placed her ear against the wooden door trying to hear something but the corridor was silent."I know what happened the last time I tried to escape." She said taking a hairpin out of her hairdo. "But at least I can go out and check on Aswad. I need to know what he is doing while I'm locked inside this darn room." She started picking the lock and after several minutes the lock finally opened. She smiled satisfied. "Oh well, I'm not the best but I manage." When she was out of the room she realized the corridor was indeed empty. No one was there. She smiled and slowly started to walk in the throne room's direction. "I have to know what's Aswad doing. I don't believe in his words. I have to make sure. I know the truth can be painful but sometimes the doubt is worse than the truth." Azul had no problem going to the throne room. When she arrived at the door she noticed it was partially open and she leaned against the wall, peeking inside. From the hall she could hear Aswad's voice. "… so he's got the three powers now, Majid." He was saying. "I really don't know how he could pass all those tests. But the truth is the Lion of the Desert is getting dangerously close to us…" "Lion of the Desert?" Azul wondered. "I've heard Aswad pronouncing that name a lot… I wonder who's the Lion?" "But we'll make sure he'll never arrive in Karak, won't we, my lord?" "We most definitely have to stop him. He's proven to be a very dangerous man. I don't want him to come in here to cause troubles. And we've seen how hard he has been fighting from day one, never giving up." "I know, Lord Aswad. And to think when we kidnapped the girl we thought he was just a stupid and weak prince." "Ali?" Azul said as her eyes brightened and a small smile appeared on her lips. "They are talking about Ali?" "He's proven he's not stupid and he's not weak. The Prince of Agrabah has become the mythical Lion of the Desert… and he is dangerous." "Oh Allah!" Azul said leaning her back against the wall. "Ali! Ali is coming! I knew Aswad was lying to me! I knew Ali would never abandon me! Ali… my prince… you are coming… you ARE the Lion of the Desert! Praise Allah!" Her heart was beating really fast then and she was feeling dizzy. She wanted to scream, to dance around the room and to jump and laugh. Instead she just put her hand on her chest trying to control her beating heart. "… and as soon as he's in our terrain we'll do what it takes to get rid of him." Aswad was saying. "I'll need powerful warriors, for the Lion of the Desert has proven he's strong enough to face any challenge." "The old prophecy says that only the Lion can destroy Karak… that Karak can only be destroyed by the joined power of the Lion of the Desert and Azrak's blood." "I know, I know… that's why we need to stop him. It's only matter of days now, Majid. He's coming dangerously close to us. We must be prepared." "Days?" Azul smiled. "Oh Allah!" "If we are lucky," Aswad was saying. "Maybe his body could do what no enemy can." Azul peeked inside the room again paying attention to Aswad's words. "What does that mean?" She wondered. "The Lion has been working so hard… trying so hard… fighting so hard… he's been traveling non stop from the moment this began… and his body is failing him now." Azul covered her mouth with her hand trying to suppress a gasp. She noticed Aswad and Majid were looking insistently at the water mirror Aswad had there but as much as she tried to look at it she just couldn't. "He's sick," Aswad continued. "He's so tired… so absolutely wore out by now." "But he is such a strong man." Majid replied. "Of course he's strong!" Azul said softly. "My Ali won't let his body win over his heart! He's going to be fine… he has to be fine! Oh Ali, I'm going to keep praying for you! You are going to be fine my love! You have to be fine!" "Come on, Majid." Aswad said. "We have to go to prepare things. The Lion of the Desert has me really nervous. If someone can destroy us that's him and we cannot allow that. Our only chance is to stop him before he gets any closer to us. The moment he'd step in Karak our lives would be over and we cannot allow that." "Yes my lord!" "Oh!" Aswad stopped. "Just one more time Majid." "Yes?" "Azul cannot know about this. She thinks her beloved Ali has deserted her and I want to keep things that way. I don't want her to recover her hopes and her faith in him… I want her to doubt him, to think he's failed her. So, this is an absolutely top secret. Azul cannot know about this under any circumstance, is that clear?" "It is clear my Lord." "Good." Aswad nodded and opened the back door of the throne room. "Now let's go, we have no time to lose." The two men left the throne room and Azul stepped inside it smiling evilly. "A secret, huh?" She said. "Well, I'll keep this as a secret if you want, Aswad… but now that I know the truth, now you just cannot destroy my will or my faith. I'm stronger now. Stronger than ever knowing that Ali is coming to Karak. You can try all your spells and incantations on him, Aswad… it'll be just a waste of time for you could never, EVER beat my Ali!" She approached the water mirror. The image in it was dissolving slowly. It was all blurry but Azul smiled tenderly when she recognized there the unmistakable image of her beloved prince on Reeh. They were running rampant across the dunes of the deserts. "Oh Ali!" She whispered. "There you are my love! I love you Ali… I love you more than my life! Oh, I never stopped believing in you… trusting you! And you are coming, my dear… you are really coming!" She stayed in there staring at the image until it vanished completely. It had been over a month since the last time she had the chance to see Ali's face and that blurred image was a precious treasure for her. She smiled softly and sighed happily when the image was gone, pressing her blue diamond against her chest. "I knew you'd never abandon me, Ali… I love you!" Suddenly she came back from her short trance and a preoccupied expression appeared on he face. "Oh Allah! I have to get back to my room! I cannot allow Aswad to find me here… I cannot let him know that I know about this. I cannot mess things up now that the end is so close… I have to pretend I know nothing. I have to pretend I'm losing hope. The truth is I'm feeling strong as never before… oh Ali, my Lion of the Desert… may Allah be with you my love!" She left the throne room almost running in her bedroom's direction. The back door of the throne room opened slowly and Aswad and Majid entered the place. The Lord of Karak was laughing softly. "Yes Azul… this is what I wanted you to know." "I just don't get it, my Lord." Majid said. "Why do you want her to know her boyfriend is coming?" "I need to break her will… I need to break her heart… I need to break her soul, her spirit… do you know what's the best way to break things?" "Sir?" "Take them to a very high place… and then let them fall… smash them against the floor. If you want something to break into little pieces, throw it from a high place." "What does that have to do with Azul, my Lord?" "I want her to have hope… I want her to have faith. I want her to believe her prince is going to rescue her any day now. Could you see her eyes glowing with joy and love? Could you see her smile? She's on the clouds now, Majid. When the time arrives we'll make sure she falls off her cloud… onto the hard ground of reality. That is a fall she'd never be able to recover from." Aswad laughed softly and sat on his throne. "That is really cruel, my Lord." Majid said. "It probably is. But I have to use strict methods now. Azul has proven she is not easy to break. So, the only way to break her is using her beloved Ali against her. He's her greatest strength… but also her worst weakness. We have to use that for our purposes." "She is so happy now." "Let her be happy. Her joy won't last long. And she'll suffer more when her beloved Ali fails knowing how hard he tried. I'm going to break her." Aswad said touching his cheek where he still had the marks of Azul's nails. "I'm going to make her pay for all she's done to me. And when she's totally broken, then I'll have what I want from her." "Any orders, sir?" "Just keep watch on her." Aswad said absently. "The time is coming now. I've summoned the person who's going to take care of the Lion of the Desert. It's all a matter of days now, Majid. This is the beginning of the end." Majid bowed respectfully and left the throne room. "And then… then Azul will be mine for the rest of eternity, and with her and the heir she's going to give me Karak will live forever and I'll rule over the Seven Deserts for as long as the sun shines on this Earth." Aswad smiled absently, his gaze lost in space. * * * * * The firsts shadows of the night were starting to cover the deserts. Reeh was running like the wind across the golden dunes under the moonlight. He had been running non stop all day.Ali was leaning against Reeh's neck and he was trying so hard to keep his eyes open. But he kept dozing off. He grabbed the reins tightly. "I'm going to fall to the ground if I keep dozing off." He told himself. "Oh Allah, help me to keep my eyes open… please." Reeh neighed softly, as if he was asking Ali what he was muttering about. "Keep going." Ali said patting Reeh's neck. "Don't stop Reeh… we have to be close to the Sanctuary… we are almost there." His heart was determined to arrive in the Sanctuary but his body was totally deserting him. He touched his forehead. "It's that annoying fever again!" He said. "What the heck is wrong with me?!" He looked at the horizon but he only could see sand in front of him. He sighed desperately and looked at the sky. "It's all my fault." He said. "I'm the one to blame… I wasn't there for her when she needed me… she was feeling nervous and I had a bad feeling and yet… and yet I just walked away and left her alone behind me… why?" He said angry with himself. "Why was I so stupid? I should have come back then… if I had only listened to my heart as Dad always told me to…" He sighed frustrated and tried to keep his eyes opened. "We have to keep going." He told to himself. "We are so close… almost there. I cannot give up now. Not now that I'm so close to the Sanctuary. I have to keep going… I have to…" He leaned against Reeh's neck and closed his eyes. All of a sudden he was feeling really dizzy and the fever was getting worse. "Reeh stop!" He pleaded. "I need some rest… I just can't go on… just… a little nap." The horse stopped and Ali almost lost his balance when he dismounted. He had to lean against Reeh for support. "I'm so tired." He said taking the bags off Reeh's back. "Let's stay here for a couple of hours. I'll feel better then." Reeh neighed and snorted hitting Ali's back with his head. "I know, Reeh… I know we should keep going. I know the Sanctuary is right ahead of us and I shouldn't be stopping like this… but I just can't… I…" He sat on the sand and leaned his back against a rock. Ali closed his eyes and touched his sweaty forehead. "I'll be alright in a couple of hours, Reeh… just… just let me take a nap…" he barely whispered. The horse looked at him and went to lay by his side trying to keep Ali warm in the cool desert night. When Ali opened his eyes he was in the same position. Reeh was sleeping peacefully by his side and he was feeling still tired. He was glad that at least the fever was gone… for now. He looked at the sky. It was dark but for the position of the stars Ali knew dawn was about to come. He frowned and cursed himself. "Darn! I overslept… I was supposed to take a two hours nap and I've been sleeping for the past eight or nine hours… and I'm still feeling tired." He rubbed the back of his neck and groaned softly. His whole body was aching. "How long have I been out here?" He said out loud and Reeh opened his eyes and looked at him. "How long have we been out here, Reeh?" The horse snorted and closed his eyes again. He was as tired as Ali was. "It's been weeks already." Ali said looking at the sky. "But I just lost track of time. I have no idea how long we were in Malahy with Karima… and I kinda lost track of time in the mountains, being in that eternal fog I never knew when was day and when was night… this is frustrating me, Reeh. I don't even know how long I've been away from Agrabah… away from Azul." The horse made soft noises but he wouldn't stand up. Ali started to caress Reeh's mane absently. The horse was in a real bad shape and Ali knew he wasn't any better. "My parents must think something bad happened to me. And the worst part is that I really have NO idea where we are. We've been following this crazy adventure blindly. And I keep thinking, what if this all is useless? What if we are only losing time? Isn't there another way to find Karak? Why do I have to pass through all those tests? You know, Reeh, I've been thinking a lot lately… about me and about Azul. And I keep wondering how she is… it's been weeks Reeh, probably months… I cannot even be sure about that. She must think I deserted her… that I abandoned her." Ali sighed almost painfully. "If only you knew, Azul…" Ali closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the hard rock behind him. He let out a shaky sigh and a tear escaped the corner of his eye. "Right now," He said softly. "I only feel like crying." Reeh lifted his head and looked at Ali. The prince had never been in worse shape in his life. And Reeh absolutely had seen him at his worst before, but never like this. He nuzzled against Ali's face. The prince grabbed Reeh's head and pulled it away from him softly. "I keep wondering how she is… and just the thought of her suffering in any way is enough to make me feel terrible. I've been thinking about a lot of terrible things, Reeh… I've been torturing myself with all those thoughts lately and I know we are so close now. This is the moment when we should be running non stop knowing we are so close… knowing we are almost there. And look at us, just sitting in here… being so pathetic. It's so hard to stand up, Reeh… it's so hard to keep my eyes open… it's so hard to keep going. Why Reeh? Why is my body betraying me like this? I feel as if all my strength has been dragged out of my body." Ali sighed frustrated and Reeh rested his head on Ali's lap. "And then I keep thinking of all those times on this journey when I've betrayed Azul in so many ways… specially with Karima… you know Reeh, I'll never be able to forgive myself for that… oh Azul, my love… how I need you… how I love you my blue eyed girl… my sweet angel…" Then suddenly he remembered those words in his dream. Azul's sweet voice telling him that she trusted him. Ali shook his head and an angry expression appeared on his face. "Look at me Azul… look at how pathetic I am… at how weak I am. You trust me, my love and look at me, not even being able to force myself to my feet to continue my journey. I've been betraying you minute after minute from the moment this started, Azul… from the moment I didn't come back to you that cursed night… oh Allah, I don't deserve her… she's been there for me always whenever I need her. When I needed her the most she was there… and now that she needs me, where am I? Running around the deserts… losing time… getting those stupid jewels while she's only Allah knows where suffering because of me… Azul…" Ali's eye was caught by the light of dawn that was barely visible on the horizon. He patted Reeh's head and then pushed it away softly. "C'mon Reeh… we have to go on. It's dawn already." Reeh stood up slowly and Ali had to try hard to force himself on his feet. The determination and the excitement of the adventure seemed to be gone. "We are so close," Ali was muttering while saddling Reeh. "So close and yet… I feel distant as never before… oh Allah, please help me… give me strength… I cannot fail now that I've passed all the tests." He mounted Reeh and patted the horse's neck. "Follow the dawn." He said quietly. Reeh shook his head heavily and started to run following the path of the morning light. * * * * * Azul was on her knees on the floor by the side of her bed. She kept her eyes closed and her lips were barely moving. She was obviously praying. Praying to Allah for her prince who was crossing the deserts on his way to Karak. On his way to her.She kept repeating Aswad's words in her head over and over. "It's only matter of days… only matter of days… Ali is coming." The door of the room opened and Azul stood up as fast as she could not wanting to give her back to Aswad. "Oh, the morning prayers I see." He mocked her. Azul didn't respond. She only frowned and kept her blue eyes looking directly at Aswad's face, showing him she had no fear. "You know, Azul." He said walking around her. "I really have to tell you that you are impressive. When I first saw you I thought you'd be easy to tame. Easy to control and to manipulate. The powers know I was wrong. I keep wondering how someone as small and fragile such as yourself is so strong and so… stubborn." "I manage." She said coldly. "You sure do." Aswad said caressing the marks of Azul's nails on his cheek. "You've shown determination and strength to me and I like that, you know? I really like that. You are very different from all the women I've known in my life. You have a special charm and I've stayed up several nights just trying to figure out what your secrets are. You are fascinating, you know that, Azul?" "What do you want from me?" She said firmly. "Nothing." He sat on bed. "Just talk. After all we'll be living together for the rest of your life… I know things haven't been good between us lately but we can try this again, don't you think?" "Why don't you just leave me alone?" "Women need company… need compliments. I could tell you how beautiful your blue eyes are… or how absolutely gorgeous you look wearing that dress…" "I HATE this cursed dress!" Azul raised her voice annoyed. Aswad laughed and nodded. "I know you hate it. But you look cute wearing it. You are perfect in so many ways, Azul. But I must admit you have no taste." Azul made an annoyed face that Aswad found really cute. "You have no taste for clothes… no taste for jewelry… no taste for make up… and worst of all, no taste for men!" "Ali is the best man in this world." She responded firmly. "He is an impressive prince, I admit it. But you deserve better. You are so much for him. Besides, since he met Karima he just…" "Karima?" Azul asked by reflex. "Who's Karima?" "Oh," Aswad smiled evilly. "The Queen of Malahy… have you ever heard about the beautiful Malahy? The Enchanted City?" "No." "Well, a beautiful city ruled by an even more beautiful queen, Karima." "But what does that have to do with Ali?" She asked more concerned than she wanted to sound. "Well, your beloved prince met her… and they spent some days together in her palace. Karima is an old friend of mine and she thinks Ali was… a very amorous guest, if you know what I mean." "No!" Azul stepped back. "You are a liar, Aswad." "I don't know, young Azul." Aswad sighed trying to look concerned. "Karima said he looks gorgeous when he's shirtless… and that he's a great kisser… I don't know if you share her opinion… what do you think? Is he?" Azul sent him a dirty look but she said nothing. "It's hard to believe indeed… I mean, he seemed to be so in love with you. I never thought he'd change his mind so quickly, but then again I guess that's the way we men are… we always fall for a pretty face." "And what was Ali doing in Malahy?" Azul asked annoyed. "I don't know." Aswad laughed. "What? Do you think I'm watching over that clumsy prince or something? As I told you, Karima just told me that." "Well, it seems to be you ARE watching over Ali, Aswad." "I have better things to do." The man said examining his finger nails absently. "Like rule the deserts… destroy cities… practice some magical spells. Interesting stuff. Ali's life is of no interest to me. I only wanted to see who my rival was… who was competing for you love… and after seeing him I realized I have no real competition, young Azul. Now I know it's only matter of time." "Should I take this as a declaration of love?" "Should you?" Aswad laughed. Azul's eyes shinned with anger. "I hate you, Aswad!" "Oh, but there's this thin line separating hate from love… I still have hopes." "What do you want? Why have you come to my room?" "I only wanted to talk… my life is boring and I feel like talking every now and then and Majid is not exactly the best company." "But I don't want to talk to you!" "And yet you've been talking to me for the last 15 minutes. And you seem to be interested in what I was saying… maybe you finally are realizing that your prince is not coming… your prayers are useless in Karak, Azul." Azul had to stop herself but she wanted to scream that she knew Ali was coming and that he was worried for the Lion of the Desert but she said nothing, for she didn't want to mess things up. Not when she could feel the end of her nightmare was getting closer with Ali coming to Karak. "I know you had wonderful plans for your life, Azul." Aswad was saying. "You wanted to marry Ali… you wanted a happy, blessed life with him as your husband. You had plans for your royal apartments… you even considered the idea of your future kids, didn't you?" "That's none of your business." She replied coldly. "Well, I only want you to know that those plans don't have to change now that you're here in Karak. You only have to change the name of the man by your side… the rest of the scheme would remain the same." "You are despicable!" She said. "At least I don't run to the first beautiful queen I see when my girlfriend is gone." "I doubt you had a girlfriend." She responded evilly. "Maybe I could have one now." Aswad laughed standing up and caressing Azul's face. "Let go!" She backed off. "I know… I know… we have to work out things between us… maybe I was going a little too fast in the past and you made it very clear." He said touching his marks on his cheek. "But know this, Azul, you have no way out. As much as you want to believe it, there's just no way out of here for you." "We'll see about that!" She said. "Absolutely." He said walking to the door. "We'll see about that… I'm still waiting for your prince to come to rescue you… are you?" "I don't have to answer that." "Who knows?" Aswad smiled. "Maybe he decided to pay a visit to Karima again. The queen said the first time was… a real pleasure." Aswad examined Azul's face smiling amused. She was trying to hide her annoyance and her anger. She just sent him a dirty look. Aswad laughed. "Think about that." Aswad said. "We'll talk later." Aswad closed the door behind him and Azul let out an annoyed sigh and a groan. "No!" She said. "You are a liar, Aswad… I know Ali is coming and I know you are worried… you won't fool me anymore. You are trying to keep stuff away from me, to manipulate me for your own convenience, but you don't know what I know. I know Ali is coming." She went to the window and stared at the desert. A preoccupied expression appeared on her face. "Queen Karima, huh?" She said annoyed. "No… I don't believe that. Ali would never do something like that... I don't believe that… Malahy is not even a city, I never heard of it before. Aswad is a liar!" She stared absently at the deserts for a long while, her mind lost in thoughts but her heart and soul filled with hope and faith in Ali. Finally she smiled warmly and a dreamy look appeared in her eyes. "But I have to admit Aswad spoke the truth when he said you look great shirtless, Ali… and also you are a great kisser!" She sighed deeply and started to pray for her prince once again. For she knew that despite what Aswad was telling her, Ali was coming. The day she kept dreaming about was getting closer. The day she would be in the arms of her beloved Prince Ali again. * * * Design by The Meanies |
